Steam-generator.



No. 662,472. Patnted Nov. 27, I900.

R. M. SHAFFER.

STEAM GENERATOR.

(Applicafion filed Mar. 1, 1900.)

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UNITED STATES IQEu RICHARD M. SHAFFER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

STEAM-G EN ERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 662,472, dated November27, 1900. Application filed March 1, 1900. Serial No. 6,912. lNo modelJT0 ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD M. SHAFFER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Steam-Generators, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in steam-generators; and some ofits objects are to produce steam quickly, to provide a perfect and rapidcirculation, to increase the heatingsurface, and to construct the devicein a simple and compact form.

The invention is especially adapted for use on automobiles andmotor-cycles wherein a minimum of weight and space are among the chiefrequisites.

With these objects in view the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which the device is illustrated by a verticallongitudinal section through my improved generator.

In the drawing, A designates the Water-receptacle, which in the presentinstance is annular in form and having an outer circular wall a and aninner circular wall a and a centralpassagefiwhich extends upwardthroughout its length. A water-supply pipe 0 enters the generator at thebottom and a steam-pipe d leads from the generator at the top. Thewater-supply pipe 0, it will be seen, before entering the generator isformed into two vertical parallel pipes c by being bent double at 0 andsaid parallel pipes extend up in the central passage B nearly to the topof the generator. The lower end of one of these pipes has a connection 0with the bottom of the generator. It will thus be seen that before watercan enter the generator it must pass up one of the parallel pipes c inthe central passage and down the other, and thereby receives apreliminary heating. A suitable oil or gas burner Z is secured at thebottom of the center passage B. This passage therefore is the fire-box.A number of curved tubes 6 occupy the center passage. One end of eachtube enters the inner wall a near the bottom and thence curves outwardtoward the opposite side of said wall and then upward and curves backagain and enters the Wall a near the top water-line. It will be seenthat a tube 6 from one side of the wall a overlaps in the center passagethe tube from the other side of the wall. By this construction it willthus be seen that all the curved tubes 6 pass each other in a centralvertical line in the center passage B. In the present instance I alsoprovide inclined tubes f, which extend crosswise through the passage Band the ends of which pass through the wall a and project into thegenerator. All these tubes are circulating-tnbes.

Near the top of the generator and above the water-line are horizontalcross-tubes or superheatingtubes 9 g, which also extend across thecenter passage B and enter the Wall ct of the generator.

A circular shell H surrounds the sides and covers the top of thegenerator A and. also covers the top of the central passage B and formsa hot-air space i all around the sides and top. The shell H is open atthe bottom.

The operation is as follows: The gas or oil from the burner is firstlighted to heat the tubes in the central passage B and also to heat theparallel water-pipes c. The water-supply is then turned on and the Waterpasses through the pipe cand up one of the parallel pipes c and down theother parallel pipe to the pipe 0 and thence into the generator. By thusdirecting the cold feed-water up and then down through the hot pipesin the central passage B the water is delivered into the generatorin analready-heated condition, and when the generator is sufiiciently filledthe Watersupply may be shut-oil. In this condition the curved tubes 6and inclined tubesfare all filled with water, and the flame and heatfrom the burner will play on all the tubes and will be deflected againstthe Wall ct of the generator and continue up through the passage B, andthe current of hot air from the flame will be deflected at the top bythe shell H and caused to spread over the top and down around theoutside of the walls a of the generator in the space 'i, and finally becarried off at the opening at the bottom. By this construction it willbe seen that heat is applied to the water in the generator through thetubes in the center passage and on the inside at top and also on theoutside wall a, thus producing a rapid circulation of the water and aquick generation of steam.

Having thus described my invention, what 4 an annular-shapedWater-receptacle having a central passage; a plural number of tubes insaid passage and communicating with the interior of saidwater-receptacle; and a shell surrounding the-sides and top of saidWaterreceptacle and covering the top of said cen-' tral passage but openat the bottom.

' 2. The combination in a steam-generator of an annular-shapedwater-receptacle having a central passage; a plural number of tubes, 6,

in said center passage and having their ends entered in the inner wallof said receptacle and curved outward toward the opposite side of saidwallsaid tubes overlapping each other at the center of said verticalpassage; and a shell surrounding the sides and top of saidwater-receptacle and covering the top of said central passage but openat the bottom.

3. The combination of a generator having a central vertical passage; aplural number of tubes in said passage and entered in said generator; ashell surrounding the sides and covering the top and said centralpassage of said generator but open at the bottom; a Watersupply pipepassing through said central passage before entering the generator.

4:. In a steam-generator, an annular or cylindrical water-receptaclehaving a central.

passage open at the top and bottom, and a shell surrounding the sidesand top of said water-receptacle and being closed at its top and sideand open at the bottom, the central passage of the Water-receptaclebeing in communication with the interior of the shell.

5. In a steam-generator the combination with the waterreceptacleprovided with a central passage extending throughout its length and openat the top and bottom, a water-supply pipe passing upwardly and in areturned direction through said central passage and entering thewater-receptacle at the bottom thereof, and a shell surrounding the topand sides of the Water-receptacle, the central passage of thewater-receptacle being in comlnunication with said shell.

6. .In asteam-generator, the combination of a'cylindrical oraunularWater-receptacle provided with a passage extending therethrough, saidpassage being open at its top and bottom, a series of pipes extending invarious di-- rections across said passage and opening into theWater-receptacle, a Water-Suppl y pipe extending into the said passageat the bottom thereof, up through the passage and in a returneddirection down through the same and opening into the Water-receptacle atthe bottom thereof, and a shell surrounding the water-receptacle atthesides and top and provided with an open bottom.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

. RICHARD M. SHAFFER. Witnesses:

CHARLES L. VIETSOH, WM. H. J ONES.

